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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMcKibben: fight back against Keystone whitewash.
Yesterday Time Magazine declared that Keystone had become the Stonewall and the Selma of the climate movement -- and today we got a reminder of just how tough those fights were, and how tough this one will be.
On a Friday afternoon, with Secretary of State John Kerry half a world away and D.C. focused on the budget fight, the State Department released a new environmental impact statement for the pipeline. Like the last such report, it found that approving a 800,000 barrel-a-day fuse to one of the planets biggest carbon bombs was unlikely to have a substantial impact on the tar sands or the climate.
That, in a word, is nonsense -- some of our most important climate scientists in the U.S. have written the State Department to explain exactly how dangerous Keystone is. Just yesterday Europes top climate diplomat pointed out that it would send a truly terrible signal to the rest of the world.
President Obama will be making a decision in a few short months. I wont lie: todays report makes the odds look even tougher -- and the power of the fossil fuel lobby hasnt waned one bit.
But Im reminded that the last time the State Department issued an environmental impact statement about the pipeline, we were just beginning this fight. That day in 2011, 50 people were arrested at the White House during the very first wave of protests against the pipeline.
This time around were tens of thousands of people stronger, and once again, I think we are just beginning to fight.
In these next months we need to send a signal to the White House that were not standing down. There are two things I think we should begin working on immediately.
First -- since its clear that the polite but firm warnings of our top climate scientists arent being heard -- anytime that the President or Secretary of State Kerry appears in public, its crucial that we let them know that we wont accept this pipeline or the damage it will do to our climate. We need a team of rapid responders coast-to-coast who can turn around with 24 hours notice and raise a ruckus at these events when we find out about them.
If you can be on call to respond quickly when they visit near you, let us know by adding your name here: http://act.350.org/signup/kxl-rapid-response/?akid=2772.117056.O8dlpQ&rd=1&t=1
I should also say that with our global network, both President Obama and Secretary Kerry can expect to hear from folks when they head abroad as well.
Second, we need to raise the heat this spring and summer. Significantly. To get a jump on the season, 350.org and our allies will be hosting a massive day of action and training at venues across the country in May. It will be the first muster for the grassroots army we hope will fan out across the nation this summer, and a unified statement of our intention to fight this pipeline.
If youre keen to get involved, click here to add your name as well and well get in touch about how to make it happen: http://act.350.org/signup/may-day-of-action/?rd=1&t=2&referring_akid=2772.117056.O8dlpQ
Even as we stick it to the pipeline, were going on offense as well, with a student-led divestment campaign that grows by the day (and increasingly moves off campus to city governments and faith communities too), and a Global Power Shift gathering this June in Turkey to gather young leaders across the globe.
I dont know how this will all go down -- only that it wont go down easily. After watching Arctic sea ice practically disappear last summer, and Superstorm Sandy hit New York, I can also tell you that this is a key moment for our planet, and your role in it will be remembered for a long, long time -- as will the Presidents.
Heres how Time put it yesterday: There are many climate problems a President cant solve, but Keystone XL isnt one of them. Its a choice between Big Oil and a more sustainable planet. As with those historic moments at Stonewall or Selma, The right answer isnt always somewhere in the middle.
Thanks for all youve done, and thanks for all youll do.
Bill McKibben
P.S. - We're also going to be hosting strategy sessions across the country on March 10th to cover these things and more. A few have already been set up -- see here: http://act.350.org/event/2013-strategy-sessions/?akid=2772.117056.O8dlpQ&rd=1&t=3 -- but if you'd like to host a gathering to plan on all these things together, click to sign up here: http://act.350.org/event/2013-strategy-sessions/create/?rd=1&t=4&referring_akid=2772.117056.O8dlpQ
Edited to put in clickable links
Berlum
(7,044 posts)...steadily oozing out Deadening Spirits...
grntuscarora
(1,249 posts)nt
spanone
(135,827 posts)AverageJoe90
(10,745 posts)While it is admittedly true(and I'm sure some of the "doomers" will excoriate me over this!), that Keystone's potential impact on climate change has been rather overblown in some instances(see J. Hansen's "Venus Syndrome" comments).....even the additional .4*C(actual figure is .36*C, btw) that very well could be put out if we burned ALL of the Tar Sands, or even just the .02-.05*C from the 170 billion tons of today's proven oil stocks(this is actually documented, by the way), isn't something we should chance, IMHO.
And what worries me more is what could happen if the oil spills over farmland.....last thing we need is a major food shortage in this country, on top of the worst drought since the '50s.
Keystone isn't going to end the world if it's built, but there are plenty of valid concerns surrounding it's implementation, but hopefully, at least there will be SOME positive impact that comes out of our protesting, whether or not it gets built.
Kudos to Dr. McKibben and company for making a stand.....